Taylor Wimpey help fund new girls’ teams – Durham Federation FC

A HOUSEBUILDER has donated £500 to a school football club.

Developer Taylor Wimpey gave the money to Durham Federation FC, based in Ushaw Moor, to help fund new girls’ teams.

The club already has ten teams and hopes to establish girls’ teams at under 10, under 12 and under 14 level.

Matt Stevenson, the club secretary, said: “We are extremely grateful for Taylor Wimpey’s generous support, which has given us a huge boost and enabled us to offer girls in the local area the opportunity to play football.

“In a short space of time, we have already seen an influx of girls interested in joining the club and we’re looking forward to playing competitive matches in the near future.”

Taylor Wimpey has been building 167 new homes in Ushaw Moor, on land north of Ladysmith Terrace – less than a mile from the Durham Federation’s campus at Durham Community Business College.

The new estate, known as Middlewood Moor, will be unveiled on Saturday (May 2).

Karl Morton, the firm’s North East sales and marketing director, said: “With our new development opening just down the road from the club, it’s extremely important to us to support local projects where we can.

“We’re thrilled to be able to help Durham Federation offer football for girls for the very first time and we wish the new players the best of luck.”

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via Defensive wall: housebuilder donates £500 to football club (From Durham Times).

Troubled school hit by financial crisis – Durham Federation – From The Northern Echo

A CRISIS-hit federation school that was plunged into special measures just two years after being hailed the most improved in the country has hit a financial crisis, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Trevor Dunn, the principal at the Durham Federation, has written to staff and trade unions spelling out the need for “significant savings” to balance the budget.

Mr Dunn appealed for money saving ideas, including expressions of interest in early retirement or voluntary redundancy.

However, suggestions at least 15 jobs will be axed across the two schools, Durham Community Business College (DCBC) in Ushaw Moor and Fyndoune Community College in Sacriston, have been dismissed as premature.

 MP Kevan Jones, whose North Durham constituency covers Sacriston, said the development was alarming and the federation should be taken out of local authority hands and turned into an academy as quickly as possible.

However, Roberta Blackman-Woods MP, whose Durham City patch includes Ushaw Moor, said while it was very unfortunate, decisions on the federation’s future should not be rushed.

The Unison trade union, which represents many school staff, said it would be inappropriate to comment.

 In a statement, Mr Dunn said: “I have sent a letter to staff and trade unions outlining the need for the federation to make significant savings to balance its budget.

“The letter is clear that at this stage we are asking for suggestions or ideas to reduce spending, which could include expressions of interest in early retirement/voluntary redundancy, a reduction in hours, job sharing or new ways of working.”

He added: “I would like to stress that we are at the very early stages of this process and we will listen carefully to all suggestions before making any further decisions.”

The federation, the first in County Durham back in 2006, has suffered a remarkable fall from grace. Just two years ago, Fyndoune was the most improved secondary school in the country and DCBC was given £650,000 to pioneer vocational education with the region’s first Studio School sixth form.

 Subsequently, it lost three headteachers, including Anne Lakey who is facing child six charges, and a surprise Ofsted inspection in September led to the federation being put into special measures, the closure of its sixth form, the resignation of its chair of governors and its emergency conversion into an academy.

Mr Jones said the conversion must happen as quickly as possible to minimise uncertainty for staff and families – and with a sponsor other than Durham County Council, which he accused of dragging its feet over the school’s leadership problems.

Dr Blackman-Woods linked the budget deficit to the school’s management problems but said she hoped compulsory redundancies could be avoided.

Troubled school hit by financial crisis – From The Northern Echo

Anger after speed limit raised outside Ushaw Moor school (From The Northern Echo)

COUNCILLORS are fuming after a committee voted to increase the speed limit on approach to a busy secondary school.

Durham County Council’s highways committee today (Friday, March 8) voted to raise the limit on part of Whitehouse Lane, in Ushaw Moor, from 30mph to 40mph – despite the area being used by vehicles accessing Durham Community Business College (DCBC).

During the County Hall meeting, Councillor John Turnbull pleaded with his colleagues to preserve the current 30mph limit, saying the increase would be very dangerous and totally wrong.

But his calls for further discussions were refused.

Afterwards, Coun John Wilkinson, who also supported the 30mph limit, said: “I’m very disappointed that this committee has taken no notice of what people in Ushaw Moor want.”

The 30mph limit will come into force further down Whitehouse Lane into Ushaw Moor; but Coun Wilkinson said this was “the wrong place.”

The committee agreed the new regime should be reviewed in 12 months’ time; but Coun Wilkinson said this “won’t mean anything”.

Whitehouse Court, which links Whitehouse Lane to DCBC, will retain its 30mph limit.

The change was part of a wider shake-up which will see 40mph ‘buffer zones’ introduced at both ends of the main road through Bearpark to slow traffic in that village.

Bearpark’s 30mph zone will be shrunk as part of this change.

A spokesman for Durham University, which recently temporarily moved its Durham Business School to nearby Ushaw College, protested the latter part of this proposal.

But Brian Buckley, the council’s strategic highways manager, said the 30mph limit at the Ushaw College end of Bearpark ‘lacks credibility’.

Coun Mark Wilkes said he had been pushing for the Bearpark changes for some time, they made absolute sense and should have happened years ago.

The changes were approved by 11 votes to one, with only Coun Turnbull voting against.

As a result of the changes, there will be no 60mph zone between Bearpark and Durham City. The eastern 40mph buffer zone will extend all the way to Toll House Road, where another 30mph limit begins.

via Anger after speed limit raised outside Ushaw Moor school (From The Northern Echo).

Durham Community Business College – Prepares for Studio Schools

A BUSINESS college is set to become the North-East’s first Studio School, offering work and life skills training to hundreds of teenagers.

The Durham Federation school has secured £650,000 in Government funding to transform unused buildings at its Durham Community Business College, in Ushaw Moor, near Durham, into one of only a handful of Studio Schools being piloted across the country.

The concept, pioneered by the Studio Schools Trust based on research from New York and Australia, involves creating small ‘schools within schools’, where up to 300 youngsters aged 14 to 19 get class- and work-based training to prepare them for employment.

via College to become region’s first ‘studio school’ From Durham Times.

Time to send in booklets to share £50,000 – Chronicle News – News – ChronicleLive

Time to send in booklets to share £50,000 by Katie Davies,

Evening Chronicle Jan 15 2011

Durham Community Business College’s Hannah Robinson 15 , Ryan Teah, 16WISH is now entering its final stages -but it’s not too late to support a group of your choice.Today is the last chance for community groups and charities to collect as many tokens as possible to be in with a chance of winning a share of £50,000.Since launching Wish in September, more than 260 groups signed up the competition. They have been busy collecting tokens printed in the paper to win a slice of the money.The final set of tokens is printed today and groups now have until February 15 to return their collection booklets.Armies of supporters have spent almost four months cutting out tokens from the paper to help their chosen group take the biggest share of the cash.And today pupils from the Durham Federation are asking for your help.

The students, who attend Durham Community Business College, in Ushaw Moor, and Fyndoune Community College, in Sacriston, are hoping to raise enough cash to pay for trip to a newsroom.

via Time to send in booklets to share £50,000 – Chronicle News – News – ChronicleLive.

ChronicleLive – News – Chronicle News – Teenagers celebrate record GCSE results

In County Durham, two schools which formed a partnership four years ago have revealed 2010 has been the best yet for GCSEs.The Durham Federation, which is made up of Durham Community Business College in Ushaw Moor and Fyndoune Community College in Sacriston, have each achieved a 97% pass rate for pupils gaining five or more A to C grades.Principal Trevor Dunn described the results as “breathtaking”.

via ChronicleLive – News – Chronicle News – Teenagers celebrate record GCSE results.

Sumo project pulls its weight (From The Northern Echo)

Youngsters in County Durham have been taking part in a Stepping Up, Moving On (Sumo) project at Durham Community Business College, in Ushaw Moor, near Durham City.

Staff from Connexions, New College Durham, The Northern Learning Trust and the college joined forces to teach job search skills, interview techniques, first aid and build confidence, over a ten-week course.

Chris Peverall, from Durham and Chester-le-Street Connexions Centre, said: “We are very proud of what we have achieved with the Sumo initiative which highlights the effective way we can work together to benefit young people in our area.”

via Sumo project pulls its weight (From The Northern Echo).

School opens new sports hall From Durham Times

School opens new sports hall11:50am Sunday 20th December 2009

A SCHOOL has opened a four-court sports hall with nearly £1.5m from Big Lottery Fund’s New Opportunities for PE and Sport programme.The hall is at Durham Community Business College for Technology and Enterprise – formerly Deerness Comprehensive School at Ushaw Moor.College principal Ann Lakey said: “These facilities have added an extra dimension to the chances we can give our students, not only in their education, but also in their lives outside of school.

READ MORE HERE \|/

via School opens new sports hall From Durham Times.

Federation triumphs in schools business battle (From Durham Times)

PUPILS from the Durham Federation school have clinching victory in an annual business contest.

The youngsters’ idea to turn driftwood and other items recovered from beaches into works of art – dubbed Earth in a Box – earned them first place in Future Business Magnates 2008-09.

The Durham Federation team rose from third place before last Thursday’s sixth and final contest challenge to pip Framwellgate School Durham.

Its success was announced at an awards ceremony at Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham.

Dave Turnbull, chairman of the judges, said: “Having been involved for four years, I can say the innovation is improving and standards are improving year on year. It gets closer and closer and it’s very competitive.

“The passion that the kids have is brilliant. It’s good for the economy, bearing in mind we’re in a financial slump. What these youngsters are proposing – given the right marketing, some of these ideas could really take off.”

Framwellgate School, whose pupils created holders for mobile phones known as Soxy Phones, were leading the competition going into the final challenge, which saw contestants give 20-minute presentations to captains of industry.

Mr Turnbull, community safety manager for Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It’s been very difficult to pick a winner. They’ve all come up with very different marketable products and they’ve learned a lot.

“The Durham Federation project was great because every single gift was different.

It has a unique selling point. And all the gear for the project – given it’s collected through the right process – is free.”

Future Business Magnates, now in its fourth year, sees young people tackle six challenges related to setting up a business.

School teams are partnered with a business mentor.

This year’s contest has featured schools from Durham, Chester-le-Street, Easington and Northern Ireland.

Durham Federation is a partnership between Durham Community Business College in Ushaw Moor and Fyndoune Community College in Sacriston.

Its business mentor was Bramwells Jewellers, in the Prince Bishops shopping centre, Durham.

Belmont School finished third with a project titled Tidy Tops – mesh lids for open-top green recycling boxes to keep tins and cans from being blown away.

via Federation triumphs in schools business battle (From Durham Times).